Top plate for lasts



UNITED S T S- PATENT OFFICE.

Patented Mar. 24, 1925. i

CLARENCE r. r xsmpor DAY-TON, oHIo, ASSIGNOR r THE CRAWFORD, MCGREGOR AND CANBY COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION O'F OHIO.

I TOP PLATE FOR IQAsT s.

Application filed January 10, 1922. Serial No. 528,147,

To a'ZZw/tom it may concern I 9 Be it known that I, CLARENCE F. f FISHER,

t a eitizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in'the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Top Plates for Lasts, of which the following is a specification: x I

My invention relates to shoe lasts and more particularly to a reinforcement and protective top plate to be applied to the ankle portion of the last and. overlying the usual embedded jack tube or thimble.

The invention contemplates the applica tion to the top ofthe last of a. cover plate of fiber or other non-corrosive pressure resisting material, bearing upon cushion insertsfof semi-flexible material at opposite sides 'of the" inserted jackitube or thimble, having a non-yielding pressure resistant bearing upon the end of the jack tube or thimble intermediate such cushion, the overlying portionjbeingof sueh thickness that.

the outer end of the jack tube or thimble whether plain or flanged will be inset .or embedded to such depth that it cannot possibly come into contact with ashoe lining such overlying protective portion having a hole.

,thereinforlthe jack pin substantially equal in diameter to that of thetube or thimble, but flaring or rounded at its mouthto facilitate the insertion of a jack pin and prevent the pinching of the shoelining. 3

The object of the invention is to provide a shoe last wherein the jack tube or thimble will not only be deep seated beyond any possible contact with thelining of a shoe, but wherein the overlyingv protective body will be sufliciently pressure resistant to enable the shoe heeling operation to be performed upon the last. i n

.It is the common practice when a last is to be used for heeling operation, to provide a metal. post or pin therein for reinforcement, which extends through the top cushion of the last ankle, and ipresents a metal sur face which may come inxcontact with the lining of the'sh-oe, causing it to'be disfigured by metallic marks or rust. One of the primary objects of thepresent invention is ,to provide a reinforcement and'protective top plate of such character and strength that he usual metallic eini reement pest er p n lining.

v claims.

'isa similar view showin jack tube or th mble lllfilGu of the flanged will be unnecessary, and which will present no surtace tllzthWlll man or disfigure the shoe In the manufactureof boots and shoes, it

has become quite the practice to apply the heels'thereto without removing the wooden last form over which the shoe has. been built.

eliminating the operation of drawing the last preparatory to the heelin'g operation and r'elasting the shoe after the heel has been applied. It also improves the product10n since relasting of the shoe after the lieeling on operation frequentlyfcauses distortion of the upper and sole, resulting in mismatedl'and abnormal'shoes. The ordinary wooden last will not withstand the ex ,This practice conserves labor and time by treme pressure of the heeling. machine, necessary to drive at ,a single. blow all ofthe nails which are to connect. the lifts of the heel together and'to the sole of the shoe at one time. During the ,ordinary'life of a last it is subjected to this enormous pressure repeatedly a great many times. One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a pressurereceiving top plate, which will receive the thrust of the heeling operation, and will protect the last heel from splitting or being crushed byithe block of the heeling maehine' A further object as heretofore polnted out is to insureagainst injury tothe shoe lining bybeing pinched between the jack. pin and the last or being marred or rust. marked by coming in contact with metal fittings. t v

. With the above primary "and other incidental objects in viewas will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the feature of construction, the

' parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the Referring mule drawings, Fig" 1- is a side elevation of a shoe last, partly in section, to which the improved construct on forming the subject matter hereof has been construction on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. .Fig. 3 the use of a plain a s wnin gs 1' and i Fig- 4 is a detail perspective view from the under side of the pressure resistant top plate. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a modification. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top plate employed in Fig. 5.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred, but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, 1 is an ordinary shoe last, in which is embedded the usual flange-d jack tube or thimble 2. In the present instance the top flange 3 of the tube or thimble 2 has been shown countersunk or embedded in the material of the last 1. Mounted upon the top of the ankle portion of the last 1, at 0pposite sides of the tube or thimble 2 are cushion layers t of semi-compressible material such as leather, rubber, super-posed layers of fabric, composition or other like material, possessing a reasonable degree of resiliency, In Fig. 1 these superposed layers of cushion materials ahave been separated one from the other, fore and aft of the jack tube or thimble 2. Superposed upon these cushion layers l is a protective top plate 5, of hard fiber, composition or other non fragile resistant material. This body or top plate 5 is provided with an intermediate lug or boss 6 of like material which projects downwardly intermediate the spaced cushion layers 4, and rests directly upon the top of the last ,1, and the flange of the thimble 2. The to plate 5 and cushion layers 4 are of such thickness that the outer end of the thimble 2 is quitedeeply seated. The protector plate 5 is provided with a hole '7, through the intermediate downwardly projecting boss or extension 6 which hole 7 is substantially equal in diameter and registers with the bore of the thimble or t11be'2, The intermediate portion 6 of the protector plate transmits the pressure direct .to the last 1 in direct line with the thimble or tube insert 2, while at either side thereof the top plate is somewhat nesiliently supported upon the interposed cushion layers 4. Thetop of the thimble is sufliciently .deep set :to insure against the shoe linings ever coming in con tact with the metal. The mouth of the hole 7 in this )rotective plate is flared or rounded outward; y as at 8 to afford a degree of clearance suflicient toprevent pinching of the shoe lining between the jack pin and the protective plate. While the protective plate 5 and dependent hearing lug are preferably formed integral as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, they may for convenience and economy of manufacture be separately formed and attached one to the other.

' It is the present practice to use both flanged and olain thimbles 2, as shown in 2 and The present construction is applicable to lasts employing either style of thimble. In Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a modification, wherein the bearing lug or pressure transmitting portion 6 is of circular form, comprising substantially a circular hollow boss on the bottom of the protective plate 5, projecting through a like opening'in the cushion layer 4, and to a considerable depth within the wooden last body 1, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. In this construction, the fore and aft portions of the cushion layer 4 are interconnected by interconnecting portions of small cross area as shown at 4i in Fig. 5, extending on. opposite sides of the pressure transmitting lug 6. The medial lugs or bosses 6 and 6 of the protective plates form piers or non-yielding resistant abutme-nts by which pressure is directly transmitted, while the adjacent portions of the last are protected from the crushing pressure by the yielding or resilient character of the adjacent cushion layers at.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, .but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its i'orm, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principlesinvolved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

lVhile in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to. structural features it is to be understood that the inven tion is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises the preferred form .o t several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. A shoe last or the like having a thimble embedded therein characterized by a protective covering voverlying the outer end of the thimble comprising a layer of semiresilient cushion material, and a superposed layer of substantially incompressible material, said superposed layer having a medial projecting hearing area abutting upon the last body and thimble. and trans utting direct pressure thereto independently of the interposed cushion layer.

2. A. shoe last or the like having a thimbleembedded therein, characterized by a body of non metallic, substantially incompressible material overlying the outer end of the. .thimble and having therein a hole substantially agreeing with the bore of the thimble, the'inonth of said hole being flared.

stratum,

pressure receiving material superposed upon- 3. Ashoe last or the like, having a thimble embedded therein, characterized by a body of hard fiber overlying the end of the thimble and having therein a hole substantially agreeing with the bore ofthe thimble,

the entrance of the hole being rounded inwardly.

4. A shoe last or the like, having a thimble embedded therein characterized by a stratum of cushion material located exteriorly of the end of said thimble and a of substantially incompressible the cushion stratum, and means for transmitting the pressure received by said superposed stratum directly to the last or the like independently of the cushion stratum, said superposed stratum having therein'holes substantially agreeing with the bore of the thimble.

5. A shoe last or the like having a thimble embedded therein, characterized by spaced cushion bodies located on opposite sides of the thimble position, and a body of t substantially incompressible pressure receiving material overlying the spacedcushlon bodies and havmg direct bearing upon the end of the thimble and adjacent last portion intermediate the cushion bodies.

6. A shoe last or the like, having a thimble embedded therein, characterized by a stratum of cushion material and a super posed stratum of pressure receiving material having a portion thereof projected through the cushion stratum into operative engagement with thelast body in proximity to the end of the thimble to transmit the pressure directly thereto.

7. A shoe last or the like having a thim ble embedded therein, characterized by a stratum of cushion material and an overlying stratum of resistant pressure receiving deep seated thimble, and a substantially in compressible protective body bearing upon the outer end of said thimble having therein a hole substantially agreeing with the bore of the thimble and bodies of cushion material extending on opposite sides of the thimble, and beneath said protective body.

10'. A shoe last or the like having therein a deep seated thimble, and a pressure resistant protective body bearing upon the outer end of said thimble having therein a tapered hole the smaller diameter of which substantially agrees with the bore of the thimble., v a

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of December CLARENCE F. FISHER.

Witness:

H. B. OANBY. 

